Barangay Santa Maria

Barangay Santa Maria is a small barangay in the municipality of Bacungan, located in the province of Zamboanga Del Norte, in the Zamboanga Peninsula region of the Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Santa Maria had a population of 1,320. This made it the 8th largest of 18 barangays in Bacungan by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Maria accounted for approximately 4.78% of the total population of Bacungan, which stood at 27,639 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Santa Maria moving from 1,294 residents to 1,320 residents, an intercensal change of +2.0%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Santa Maria as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Bacungan is a municipality comprising 18 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Santa Maria, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Zamboanga Del Norte, which contains 691 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Santa Maria ranks 279th by 2020 population. Zamboanga Del Norte is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Santa Maria is governed by an elected Sangguniang Barangay composed of a Punong Barangay and seven kagawads, with the Sangguniang Kabataan representing the youth. The next BSKE, set for Monday, November 2, 2026, will elect officials to four-year terms as provided under Republic Act No. 12232.